Naema Naeem Butt (Pakistan)

Naema Naeem Butt

Naeema Butt has nine years of experience in human rights activism through theatrical arts. Naeema is the founder, director, facilitator and CEO of ‘Pehlaaj’ Theatre and Story Center for Change Organization in Pakistan, where she is working as a Theatre of the Oppressed facilitator for oppressed communities in the country. After receiving her facilitation training from the Mandala Center for Change in the U.S., she has been conducting interactive theater trainings as a therapy for women (victims of acid attacks, abuse, and terrorism), adolescents, kids, youth and transgender community who have been experiencing abuse and are victims of violence and extremism. Naeema has been working as a Fellow as part of the Accountability Lab’s Pakistan chapter to foster transparency and accountability through her brilliant theatre skills like street theatre, image, forum and legislative.

She is one of the very first Pakistani theatre activists invited to present her theatre work for peace at the Federal Congress on Cultural Policy in Berlin, organized by the Goethe Institute and IFA. She has also presented her work at the UN in New York, and with various groups in DC.

Network (PUAN) ‘Emerging Young Leader’ award winner in 2014 for this work and won election to lead Pakistan US Alumni Network in Punjab as Secretary General (Alumni) where she conducted, directed and performed many theatre performances and workshops.

Beyond her incredible work, however, it is Naeema’s commitment to her cause that really stands out as her biggest accomplishment. The accolades cannot do justice to the incredible struggle it takes to be a woman- in any field- in Pakistan..